From New York Times, I'm Michael Obaro.

This is a Daily.

Today why at the very last minute, both dominion voting systems and Fox News decided to settle

the most closely watched defamation lawsuit in decades rather than make their case at trial.

My colleague, Jeremy Peters, was inside the courtroom as it happened.

It's Thursday, April 20th.

Jeremy, you were at this very moment, supposed to be in a Delaware courtroom covering day

two of this blockbuster defamation trial.

And instead, based on your background on this Google Hangout, you are not in a courtroom.

You are in a hotel room.

That's right.

Where I'm doing reporting, trying to figure out how this all fell apart.

We had an 11th hour settlement in the case that no one really anticipated.

This case had gone on for two years with no serious settlement talks.

And now both parties have agreed to make this go away for $787.5 million.

That's what Fox will pay to dominion voting systems.

Sparing Fox, the really potentially embarrassing spectacle of having the chairman of its company,

Robert Murdoch, its star hosts like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity from taking the witness

stand.

Right.

So let's talk about why this has all happened because it did feel very much unexpected.

The last time you came on the show, Jeremy, to preview this trial, a settlement wasn't

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